l68 HOUSE PLANTS 



been screened, with the addition of some 

 clean, sharp sand. 



The succulent plants other than the 

 cactuses can be grown in a much richer soil, 

 but great care must be exercised not to 

 overwater, causing the stems to rot. Seed- 

 ling succulents may be grown in pots 

 — one to a pot — or in flats with a large 

 number in each one. It is handiest to have 

 the plants in pots. Even the smallest need 

 drainage. A good rule to follow is to fill one- 

 quarter to one-third of the pot with coarse 

 drainage, such as coke, coal clinkers, or 

 broken pots, over which put a little sphagnum 

 moss, to keep the soil from sifting down 

 among the drainage. 



When potting up a cactus select a pot just a 

 little larger than the body of the plant. 

 Many people crowd the plant into as 

 small a pot as possible, but I believe this is 

 bad, because the plant needs some space 

 in which to grow, and if the pot is small, 

 it is impossible to water it properly. 

 When potting, put the coarsest part of the 

 soil next to the drainage, with the finer 

 part above it, and around the plant, so 

 inserting it that the bottom (be it roQted 



